Going green

16th May 2025

I want to focus this week on the colour green, but before that…

The examination season is in full swing. The GCSEs are underway at TRC, OHS and WHS. Many of our pupils and students will be feeling the strain, but despite that, the overwhelming majority have put in a real shift this week, have conducted themselves in an appropriate and mature manner and, it’s fair to say, it’s all gone very well, so far. The BTECs and other similar quantifications are coming towards the end of their programmes and much has been completed. And the A level examinations are well underway. The intensity of the revision programmes doesn’t quite match the intensity of sitting the final examinations but, again, the overwhelming majority of students are doing very well, are showing real determination and a commitment to positive outcomes, allowing for real choices beyond the summer.

We mustn’t forget that the incredibly important SATs week has been completed. Four days of intense assessment, in challenging circumstances, with children who won’t have experienced that degree of assessment before, makes for an amazingly difficult week for pupils and for staff. I had the honour of spending the day observing the processes and programme at SJS on Thursday. I was incredibly impressed with the approach, calmness and commitment of the children. They all wanted to do their very best and be the very best version of themselves, throughout the week. Why was that? You can be reassured that’s because they were well prepared, felt supported and cared for and they knew that the staff, all staff, were on their side and by their side. A real team effort. Well done and thank you to all of the staff and pupils at Sitwell Junior School. Just the ‘writing’ to do now and then the summer can begin?

All of the above, with our obvious and tangible successes, happens solely because of the conditions we, as the adults, create. We plan, we support, we care, we challenge, we have high expectations, we demand the very best of ourselves and of our pupils and students.

Green? – since 2001, the Mental Health Foundation has been leading Mental Health Awareness Week; just this last week (although for practical reasons last week at TRC). This marked period is an opportunity to bring the UK together to focus on getting good or better mental health. This year’s theme is ‘community’ – it’s almost as if we were to have written it ourselves.

Across our institutions much has been happening over the past couple of weeks.

Last week, at TRC, Mental Health Awareness Week was recognised and celebrated in the college with a host activities throughout the week; including karaoke, competitions (with a chance to win Amazon vouchers), free healthy breakfasts every day and the ‘WEAR IT GREEN’ day on Thursday.

At WHS, this week, there were quizzes in tutor boxes, With Me in Mind joined the school during lunch on Friday, with a pop-up stall to offer advice and guidance, staff and students wore green on Friday, replacing an item of their uniform with something green, be that a tie (that was my effort and as far I dare go), socks, t-shirt or jumper, with the opportunity to donate to the Mental Health Foundation.

At OHS, Georgia Flower led a series of assemblies with a focus on ‘connecting for community’. Georgia asked pupils to think about their community and how we all can add to and celebrate the communities in which we live or serve. It’s the sense of belonging and celebrating who we all are.

Much of the activity will not be obviously or directly related to ‘sorting’ mental health. It’s much more subtle than that. There’s no ‘sorting’ to be done but there are mechanisms for ensuring that we all continue to train for good mental health -as we would for good physical health. We live in a time when we are far more conscious of our own health and well-being, and we are more attuned to the health and well-being of others. Great! – that’s how it should be. When I read about ‘days gone by’, there is a great deal of emphasis on looking out for each other, that sense of community, a togetherness. I’m not sure we are that different these days but there’s nothing wrong in reminding each other that we are inter-connected and are part of something more substantial. We rarely have to stand alone.

I heard a couple of things on the radio on my way into SJS on Friday, both resonated and seemed appropriate at the end of this week. Firstly, there has been a missive from the Department of Education stating that they would like schools to teach ‘grit’; encouraging our children and young people to show some greater resilience – we’re on it there. And, Charlie Mayfield (the ex-boss of John Lewis) is doing some research into how to reduce the numbers who feel they cannot access work, as a consequence of physical or mental health issues. His report will come out in the Autumn but, for now, he’s wanting us to focus on our relationships, in work and beyond. He nearly said ‘we’re in the people business’ – we’ve heard that somewhere before.

‘Without a sense of caring, there can be no sense of community’. Anthony J. D’Angelo

I hope you can get some ‘you’ time this weekend; be that pursuing something solo, with family, friends or as part of your community – we’d all be better for it.